by Rashmi Sharma | Apr 17, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Requirements
• Large indoor or outdoor space free of obstacles
• Large round balloon inflated to low pressure (not hard)
Instructions
- Inflate a round balloon to a low pressure so it is not too hard or likely to pop.
- Find a large indoor or outdoor space free of obstacles.
- Practice kicking the balloon with your toddler.
- If the balloon is kicked high into the air, try to catch it with your hands.
Variations
• Tie a long string to the balloon and hang it from a doorframe or a tree. The balloon should hang about 5cm above the ground.
Benefits
This activity develops leg coordination, balance, and gross motor control in the lower body. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve dynamic balance and rhythmical movement (e.g., soccer, basketball, volleyball, racquet sports, martial arts, dance).
by Rashmi Sharma | Apr 17, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Requirements
- Open space indoor or outdoor
- Balloons (round type)
Instructions
- Blow up a few balloons of the “round” type.
- Inflate to medium pressure, so the balloon “floats” a bit but not too much.
- Toss one balloon into the air above your head.
- Show your child how to keep up the balloon using fingertips and palms.
- Challenge your child to take a turn keeping the balloon in the air.
- If the balloon touches the ground, switch turns.
Variations
- After a while practicing, try a competition where you count your touches out loud before the balloon hits the ground
- Try with two balloons at the same time, one balloon each – see who keeps up their balloon longest
- See if you can keep up two or three balloons at the same time
- Keep up the balloon with different body parts (knees only, feet only, elbows only, head only)
Benefits
This activity develops hand-eye coordination, gross motor control, and the ability to track moving objects in the air. These skills transfer to sports and activities that involve striking or catching an object in the air (e.g., balls, frisbees, ribbons, sticks, batons).
by Rashmi Sharma | Apr 17, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Requirements
• Indoor space free of obstacles and valuable breakables such as lamps, pictures and plants
• Large round balloon
• Empty cardboard tube from wrapping paper
Instructions
- Inflate the balloon until it is relatively hard.
- Show your toddler how to hit the balloon around the room with the cardboard tube.
- Allow your toddler to have fun hitting the balloon around the room in any manner they like.TIP: You don’t need to “coach” any batting or hitting technique.
Variations
• If you have two cardboard tubes, try to take turns hitting the balloon to each other while keeping the balloon in the air.
Benefits
This activity develops hand-eye coordination and timing while using a simple bat (i.e., striking tool). These skills also transfer to striking with a racquet or stick.
by Rashmi Sharma | Apr 17, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Requirements
- Small hockey sticks (wooden or plastic)
- Plastic ball 8-10 cm diameter (e.g. street hockey ball)
Instructions
- Create two small goals in your driveway, patio, or hard surface at a local park.
- Play a simple game of one-against-one hockey with your toddler.
- Allow your child to score goals for encouragement.
Variations
- Show your child how to “stickhandle” the ball with small touches that change the ball direction
- Create a big goal and act as goalkeeper so your child can attempt to score on you
Benefits
This activity develops hand-eye coordination and timing while using a hockey stick (i.e., striking tool). These skills also transfer to striking with a bat or racquet.
by Rashmi Sharma | Apr 17, 2020 | Fitness Activity
Requirements
Instructions
- Either indoors or outdoors, show your child a balance pose, and encourage your child to imitate you as you hold the pose.
- Stand up on the tips of your toes, arms stretched straight overhead.
- Stand on one leg, other leg bent at the knee, arms raised straight sideways like wings.
- Stand on one leg, arms raised straight sideways like wings, bend forward at the waist, and lift rear leg (airplane pose).
- Stand on all fours, head down, rear in the air (downward dog pose in yoga).
- From all fours, raise and hold one leg high in the air.
- From all fours, raise and hold one arm high in the air.
* Adjust the difficulty of the pose according to age and ability of your child.
* Invent other balance poses together—use your imagination!
Variations
- Whenever you pose standing on one leg or one hand, be sure to repeat the same pose standing on the other leg or hand (develop ambidexterity).
Benefits
This activity develops coordination and balance.
